New York City is a city where there are no unphotogenic locations. “The Big Apple”, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, invites you on a breathtaking stroll: here, every building and every intersection are ready to grace your shot. And so, arm your camera and be ready to keep it in your hands.
Must have pictures
It’s worthy of a multi-volume book to list all the best places to take pictures in New York. We’ll try to mention only the most famous, so you can fill your photo album and social media pages with iconic shots.
1. Skyscrapers
The main thing about this city is its stunning high-rise buildings. For example, Rockefeller Center is a complex of structures in Midtown Manhattan that includes as many as 19 skyscrapers! Take pictures from below to capture their grandeur, or go up to the observation deck. From there you’ll get a view that takes your breath away — St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the arteries of the streets, and The Empire State Building.
You can climb that tower, too. The most popular tickets are for sunrise and sunset and the blue hour. If you can’t make it to the top in the cherished minutes, don’t feel bad. The correction you can do with the color edit app RetouchMe will make your photo just as colorful as the sun’s rays.
2. Times Square
A lively crossroad is known for its bright posters and a kaleidoscope of advertisements. Find the right angle: with your back to Duffy Square, you’ll see the screens right in front of you. The most popular times for filming are sunset hours and dark evenings.
3. Grand Central Terminal
One of the city’s oldest buildings, a favorite of photographers and cameramen, has been featured in millions of images and dozens of movies and cartoons. It’s a fun place to take pictures, both inside and out. Inside, there are lively crowds of people, staircases, passages, and huge windows, in front of which portraits are great. The station building itself contrasts interestingly in style with the surrounding buildings, so it sets the rhythm for energetic urban photography.
4. Central Park
Another legendary location — a huge green rectangle inscribed in the strict geometry of Manhattan streets. In the shade of its trees, the attentive photographer waits for a lot of interesting things: a lake, sculptures, benches, buildings, and picturesque landscapes. The most famous place in the park is the Bethesda Fountain and Terraces. The arches there make excellent portraits.
5. Soho and the West Side
Neighborhoods where the spirit of glamorous New York lives. You can catch boutique storefronts and elite mansions with their distinctive cast iron staircases and high doors in the frame. Here they shoot for expensive magazines and advertisements. Ready to compete in the art of photography with the most famous masters of America?
6. Bridges
The brick towers of the Brooklyn Bridge, to which huge cables lead, are one of the symbols of New York. The place is very busy, experienced photographers advise catching the short blue hour before sunrise so you don’t have to fight the crowds of tourists for a good shot. Also, the pre-dawn skyline is a view of the twinkling lights of a city that never sleeps.
The Manhattan bridge and street called DUMBO is another photo trend. We recommend taking a wide-angle lens to capture the views to and from the bridges.
7. Chinatown
Imagine being surrounded by signs with hieroglyphics, red Chinese lanterns, and shop windows with fans. Are you sure you’re still in America? Chinatown is a colorful neighborhood for street photography. There’s also a walkway to the Manhattan Bridge from here, so you can visit several photo zones at once.
Our list doesn’t include the Chrysler Building and The Statue of Liberty, High Line Park and Madison Square Garden, Flatiron and the Bull on Wall Street, hundreds of avenues, alleys, houses, and statues. Conquer New York on your way as you look at the Big Apple through a camera lens.